April 25, 2024
Breaking the Mix: Navigating the Move to Single-Format Radio
PMC Webinar deck Breaking the Mix | Click here for the presentation video
It’s no secret that single-format stations typically outperform those with a mixed format of news and music. By maintaining a consistent, continuous programming stream, you can keep your audience tuned in longer and drive better results. Hear from industry leaders who have successfully transitioned to a single-format model, including: Matt Abramowitz (President) and John Sutton (interim CCO) of New England Public Media as well as Jared Johnson, General Manager of WVIK in the Quad Cities. Gain valuable insights and actionable tips for assessing if a single-format move is right for your station, and how to execute it effectively. This webinar is brought to you in collaboration with Abby Goldstein, Executive Director of Public Media Content Collective.
March 6, 2024
Navigating the Future: A Practical Approach to Multi-Year Planning
PMC Webinar deck Multi-Year Planning | Click here for the presentation video
As a public media executive, you’re bombarded with news and information about media trends and audience engagement, but it’s not always clear how these factors may impact your future. This webinar will provide a framework for understanding these trends and incorporating them into your long-range financial planning and investment strategies. Guest speakers include: Mark Contreras (CEO) and Meg Sakellarides (CFO) of Connecticut Public.
December 7, 2023
Practical Strategic Planning for Public Media Organizations
PMC Webinar deck Practical Strategic Planning | Click here for the presentation video
Navigating change is an increasingly vital challenge for public media organizations. Strategic planning helps clarify the way forward and identify what matters most for future success, and we’ve been seeing an increase in station interest. However, this is often easier said than done, particularly when you’re already pressed for time and resources or are uncertain of what the planning process involves.
In this webinar, we demystify strategic planning. Join Public Media Company’s Steve Holmes and John LaBonia, CEO of WLRN Public Media in South Florida, as they discuss the key steps involved in a strategic planning process, including identifying the right time to move forward and discussing effective ways to engage staff, board, institutional, and community stakeholders in the process.
September 21, 2023
Broadband & $42 Billion: What It Means for Public Media
PMC Webinar deck Broadband & $42 Billion | Click here for the presentation video
$42 billion in federal dollars are now being deployed to ensure that every household in America is connected to high-speed broadband. What does this mean for rural and urban areas across the country and, critically, what does this mean for public media organizations?
In this webinar, Public Media Company's Carlos Barrionuevo (who is also on the board of the Maine Connectivity Authority and a driving force behind the state’s efforts to ensure universal high-speed broadband) is joined by an esteemed panel of guests to discuss the deployment of federal funds, the impact on local communities, and the pivotal role that public media organizations can potentially play in this digital transformation.
May 11, 2023
Future of Public Media, Newspapers and Local News: Case Studies from Maine and Central Pennsylvania
PMC Webinar deck Future of Public Media Newspapers and Local News | Click here for the presentation video
What’s the state of the local news ecosystem in your community? Is your station evolving to meet the demand for local news and cultural reporting?
Public media organizations are increasingly being asked to play a lead role in their local media ecosystem, which may include running a newspaper or becoming the largest locally-owned media outlet in the region.
Recent case studies in Central Pennsylvania (WITF and LNP/Lancaster Online) and the Maine Journalism Foundation will highlight two organizations invigorating a region’s local news and information ecosystem -- with community leaders playing a central organizing role.
In this webinar, you’ll hear from Ron Hetrick, CEO of WITF and Emily Barr of Maine Journalism Foundation (and formerly President and CEO of Graham Media Group) on their efforts to galvanize community support and forge a model for public and independent media to follow across the country.
December 8, 2022
Changing Dynamics in Local Journalism?
PMC Webinar deck Changing Dynamics in Local Journalism 8-December-22| Click here for the presentation video
Public media organizations are increasingly partnering with local newspapers and digital news sites to help maintain and grow access to local news in their communities. In this webinar, we'll talk with public media leaders about how these partnerships work and how they address the growing crisis in local journalism. You'll also learn about how Public Media Company is helping support these public media/local newsroom partnerships.
November 17, 2022
Newspapers & Public Media: Good Partners?
PMC Webinar deck Public Media and Newspapers: Good Partners? 17-November-22| Click here for the presentation video
Public media organizations are increasingly partnering with local newspapers and digital news sites to help maintain and grow access to local news in their communities. Is such a partnership a good strategic move for your organization and community? We'll explore this topic and help you answer the question for your community. You’ll learn about public media/local newsroom partnerships that are in place around the country and hear about the various factors you should consider when exploring a potential opportunity with another local newsroom.
August 11, 2022
Budgeting and Forecasting for Public Media Leaders
PMC Webinar Budgeting & Forecasting Slides 11-August-2022| Click here for the presentation video
Leaders of organizations are expected to communicate the financial position of their organizations clearly and effectively to their boards, internal teams and external audiences.
What story do your organization’s financials tell?
How is your organization performing?
Are there areas of concern and are you able to anticipate how they may impact your results and ability to provide services?
Can you talk the talk?
In this webinar we will go beyond the basics and review the importance of financial reporting and how to ensure it’s used properly within your organization.
April 28, 2022
Going multiplatform: Revisiting two digital news site acquisitions, three years later
PMC Webinar Digital Acquisition Webinar Slides 28-April-2022 | Click here for the presentation video
In March 2019, Colorado Public Radio announced it was acquiring the start-up city guide Denverite.com and WNET/NJ PBS announced it was acquiring NJ Spotlight.com as part of an expansion of statewide coverage in New Jersey. In an instant, these "traditional" public media radio and television stations became multiplatform news providers juggling brands, audiences and content priorities.
Join Colorado Public Radio COO Jenny Gentry and Executive Editor Kevin Dale, along with NJ PBS General Manager Joe Lee and NJ Spotlight Founder and Executive Director John Mooney as they recap the decisions made to acquire these news sites and discuss how it’s going three years later. Hosted by Public Media Company Managing Director Alison Scholly, this webinar will help attendees understand how they might evaluate a potential digital news site opportunity in their community and what the future may hold for multiplatform news organizations over the long term.
December 9, 2021
Discover New Music Opportunities: VuHaus Group Update
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It’s been six years since VuHaus Group was launched as an independent non-profit dedicated to connecting public media’s music discovery stations with artists and audiences across the country.
Public Media Company and five leading public media organizations launched VuHaus Group in 2015 with a commitment to creating meaningful distribution and revenue opportunities for music stations. The 20 current affiliates of VuHaus include joint licensees, stand-alone music stations, and NPR news and information services with digital-only music streams.
In this webinar, Station Managers and their Program Directors get an update from leaders from VuHaus Group and its member stations to learn about how VuHaus Group is helping chart a new course for music stations in their communities via potential programming collaborations, new revenue opportunities, and growing impact beyond a station's listening area.
Station Compensation Webinar: Insights & Guidance for Public Media Leaders
October 27, 2021
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Public Media Company hosted a webinar with compensation expert David Lough. Lough analyzed executive compensation at nearly 100 public media stations, completed in partnership with Public Media Company. Classical KING FM’s CEO Brenda Barnes and Board Member Susan Harmon explained
how KING is using the analysis and other insights to better understand and update the station’s overall compensation structures.
Webinar viewers will gain insight into how public media compensation is structured; variations by station revenue size/location; and differences between grantee types. They’ll also build awareness of the important role that clear compensation policies and practices play for nonprofit organizations and an understanding of how to get more compensation clarity at your station.
Does your community know that you exist? Grow station audience and revenue via increased awareness
May 19, 2021
Public media stations can increase revenue and impact with greater reach in their community. It starts with measuring how well the community knows your station (you’ll be surprised) and conducting a marketing campaign to "introduce" your station to new audience members.
Public Media Company Managing Director Alison Scholly hosted marketing leaders from WMUK in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and Colorado Public Radio to learn about the 2020 awareness campaigns they ran and the results.
WMUK's Development Director Kim Willis will recount WMUK's digital campaign, and
Colorado Public Radio's SVP Audience & Platforms Jodi Gersh will discuss the 2020 cross-media campaign deployed by Colorado Public Radio.
This webinar covers how to find a local agency partner; what research to deploy before proceeding; and how a campaign might be structured and measured.
Click here for slides of the presentation | Click here for presentation video
Opportunities to Apply for New FCC Stations:
A Guide for the Curious Public Radio Leader
March 11, 2021
The FCC plans to host not one, but two opportunities to secure a broadcast license in your community in 2021. It has already scheduled an auction for open allotments and expired construction permits, and plans to announce later this year the first FM noncommercial filing window in over a decade. Public Media Company’s Evran Kavlak and FCC Attorney Melodie Virtue of Foster Garvey, both active in previous FCC license auctions and NCE filing windows, took webinar attendees through the steps necessary to determine if participating in these upcoming opportunities for your station and best practices of how to pursue this exploration.
Click here for slides of the presentation |Click here for presentation video
Consolidating to Expand Services:
A deep dive into the Northern California Collaboration
December 10, 2020
In advance of the new year, Public Media Company is launching a “strategy series” – which will focus on areas of growth, challenges and solutions for public media stations. The session kicked off with Public Media Company CEO Erin Moran, Capital Public Radio EVP/General Manager Jun Reina and North State Public Radio GM Phil Wilke discussing the structure behind the “back office collaboration” between Capital Public Radio in Sacramento and North State Public Radio in Chico, California.
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University Station Leaders:
Planning for an Uncertain Future
June 10, 2020
COVID-19 is fundamentally reshaping university instruction and having a ripple effect on the stations licensed to these institutions. This webinar reviewed current trends Public Media Company is seeing and highlighted best practices on how to prepare and react to change at your university. This webinar was produced in partnership with The University Station Alliance.
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Visualizing Data: Understanding & Telling Stories with Data
May 29, 2020
Public Media Company Director Steve Holmes co-hosted this PMBA webinar with Current's Managing Editor Karen Everhart, as part of the 2020 PMBA Virtual Annual Conference.
Why: Highlight value of using visuals to communicate and interpret data
How: Understand some of the key steps to develop data visualizations
What: Create a real-world example for future publication in Current
Click here for slides of the presentation | Click here for presentation video
Contingency Planning for Public Media
May 6, 2020
Evolving crises require public media leaders to prepare for the inevitable shocks ahead. This webinar will review the steps that station managers can take now to ensure that they understand what challenges may be on the horizon and be ready if and when they occur.
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Managing Nonprofit Finances in a Crisis
April 29, 2020
The challenges of Covid-19 are made even harder when combined with an uncertain financial outlook. This webinar focuses on the key financial management areas that station leaders need to address now to help secure their fiscal futures.
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Financial Oversight for General Managers
November 5, 2019
Most public media leaders do not have a finance background and have not been trained on financial management, but they are charged with overseeing the health of a critical local media organization in flush times….and not so flush times. How do you make sure that your station is operating on strong financial footing regardless of the economic climate? What are the key numbers and ratios that you need to know and monitor? Get an overview during our webinar series on best practice financial management for station general managers.
Click here for a PDF copy of the presentation.
We host regular webinars of interest to public media leaders, check back here to learn about the next scheduled sessions. If you have a relevant topic that would make for a great webinar, email us!